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Bang!
Dojun’s fist slammed savagely onto the hood of the sedan.
A tremendous impact echoed through the alley, startling the driver and the passenger in the front seat.
The driver, his face pale, tried to shift gears, but his hand fumbled. He was already terrified, and then he made eye contact with Dojun.
“S-sunbaenim! What do we do now?”
“What do you mean what do we do, you idiot! Turn the car around quickly!”
The person shouting from the passenger seat was reporter Choi In-ho.
He desperately tried to turn the steering wheel that his junior, Seon-gyu, had let go of.
“What are you doing? Step on it!”
“We’ll hit that man!”
Dojun, who had started walking, got closer and closer to the driver’s seat.
Seeing this, the pupils of both Choi In-ho and Seon-gyu widened simultaneously, and they froze stiffly.
Seon-gyu trembled and put the car in reverse.
Just as he was trying to escape, Dojun knocked on the car window.
Tap tap!
“S-sunbaenim.”
“Just back the car up, quickly!”
Seon-gyu slowly reversed the car as Choi In-ho ordered.
Then, Dojun slammed on the car window again.
Choi In-ho, realizing things weren’t going his way, gritted his teeth and commanded, “Hey, open the window.”
“I think he’s going to hit us...”
“We’re reporters! There’ll be big trouble if he does.”
Seon-gyu reluctantly rolled down the window, his gaze averted.
Finally, a gap appeared, revealing Dojun’s cold pupils.
Choi In-ho, who had already lost his nerve, bowed his head abjectly and got out of the car.
“What’s the matter?”
“Kidnapping and illegal stalking...”
“Kidnapping? We were just on our way to run an errand.”
“I know everything about you taking my father in this car a few days ago.”
“What are you saying? We’ve never even seen CEO Park Dojun before...”
“You know me well. That I’m Park Dojun.”
Out of nervousness, Choi In-ho made a mistake.
Dojun warned him as he avoided eye contact and mumbled, “I have evidence and witnesses, so we’ll see each other at the police station soon.”
“CEO Park Dojun’s father asked us for a ride!”
“Hand over the black box if you have one.”
“W-well...”
At the time, Choi In-ho knew that President Park had dementia but still tried to use him by putting him in the car.
The conversation he had with Seon-gyu, as well as President Park’s voice, were all recorded on the black box.
Flustered, Choi In-ho looked away.
Dojun scoffed and touched the black box installed in the car. Then, he took out the memory card containing the recorded video.
“With this black box and the CCTV footage I’ve secured, it’ll be perfect. Goodbye.”
“Hey, CEO Park Dojun!”
Choi In-ho, becoming desperate, grabbed Dojun.
He made eye contact with Haejoo, who was watching the situation, and his heart sank.
“This is clearly theft.”
“In the face of kidnapping and illegal stalking, it’s called self-defense.”
“Don’t make this bigger and give that back quickly.”
“Get lost while I’m letting you go quietly.”
“Are you really going to report it as kidnapping?”
“What’s stopping me?”
Dojun was much larger than ordinary men. Just standing in front of him was intimidating enough to make one’s knees buckle.
Indeed, the rumors were true. He had a strong gambler’s instinct and was skilled in psychological warfare, never failing to achieve his goals.
“I can just quit my job, but CEO Park Dojun has a lot to lose.”
“Why can’t you imagine a kidnapper rotting in jail?”
“......!”
“You probably have a family and things you need to protect too.”
“Please, let’s just let this slide this time, okay?”
“Sounds like a dog barking somewhere.”
Dojun didn’t return the memory card he had taken from the black box.
Choi In-ho, who had no way to physically take it back, reluctantly returned to the sedan.
Only then did Seon-gyu turn the car around in the narrow alley and drive away from Dojun.
“We’ve secured proper evidence now.”
“Is it okay to just take the memory card like that?”
“I’ll handle it, so don’t worry.”
Dojun urged Haejoo to continue on their way.
He didn’t care even though they attracted people’s attention wherever they went.
The two went to a pho restaurant and sat facing each other at an empty table.
“Do you know who that reporter was a moment ago?”
“It was probably Choi In-ho from Real Fact. He’s known for being vicious.”
“I see.”
The pho and side dishes they ordered arrived. Dojun started eating at the same pace as Haejoo.
“It’s not bad, eating out like this.”
“Can we come often?”
“Yes. If possible... anytime.”
A faint smile spread across Dojun’s lips.
He was surprised at how much Haejoo being with him made his heart flutter.
“And I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me.”
Dojun took a sip of water while eating.
He slightly frowned at Haejoo’s troubled expression.
“Is it bad news?”
“Depends on how you look at it?”
“Now I’m even more curious.”
“I’ve definitely decided to appear in Director Kwak’s movie. It looks like the first phase of filming will be on location in Jeju Island.”
“Jeju Island?”
Dojun cleared his dry throat. He took another sip of water and put down his chopsticks.
“For how long?”
“The director said three months at the shortest, five months at the longest.”
“You can’t come home during that time?”
“I’ll probably be able to go back and forth briefly on days when the filming schedule is free.”
“What about living arrangements?”
“The agency will probably arrange accommodation.”
Dojun, his expression darkening, finished the rest of his meal.
He was silent the whole time and then wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“I’ll arrange the accommodation, so tell the agency to leave it to me.”
“The company pays for the expenses anyway.”
“......”
“That’s why we share the profits with the agency, there’s no need to spend extra money.”
“I’ll go see it, and if I don’t like it, I’ll change it.”
“Okay.”
The two slowly walked to the Jino Group building after leaving the restaurant.
Passersby who saw them took photos of Dojun and Haejoo with their phone cameras.
“Being an actor must be tiring.”
“There’s no privacy. Still, we can be more like a married couple, right?”
After Dojun returned to the company, Haejoo headed home. Looking around while waiting for the traffic light, she didn’t see the sedan that had been following her.
“If I had been alone, I would have kept getting harassed.”
Usually, the reporters from Real Fact wouldn’t even bat an eye when threatened with the law.
But Choi In-ho had left obediently, probably because he had done something wrong.
She didn’t know if he would stop completely at this point, but it seemed like they had gotten past one hurdle.
Arriving home, she first skimmed through the newly received script. The movie had become even more exciting as the focus shifted to the events.
“I’m so excited.”
Haejoo’s heart was already full.
While she was engrossed in checking the changed parts, Hyun-sung called.
“Yeah, Hyun-sung-ah.”
-Noona, something big happened.
“What is it?”
-Someone claiming to be your older sister called the company.
“Oops!”
-Noona?
“No, go on.”
At the mention of Yura contacting them, Haejoo dropped the mug she was holding. Shaking off her wet clothes, Haejoo pulled out a tissue and roughly wiped herself.
-Her name was Lee Yura, is that right?
“......Yes.”
Haejoo, clutching her head, leaned back on the sofa.
She had wondered why things had been quiet.
“What did she say when she called?”
-She suddenly called, wanting to talk to you and asking for your contact information.
“Who answered the phone?”
-A staff member from the general affairs department. They said it was personal information and couldn’t be given out, but she made a fuss, saying she was family.
Haejoo’s hands trembled.
A name and face she never wanted to recall again vividly appeared in her mind.
“So?”
-As soon as the call ended, I reported it to the director and put her on the blacklist.
“Good job.”
-Noona, the company will handle this well, so don’t worry too much.
“Thank you, Hyun-sung-ah.”
-The director will contact you separately later, so please talk to him.
“Okay.”
After the call ended, Haejoo clenched her fists tightly.
An unbearable pain washed over her, as if she had returned to the past.
She picked up the script again, but her eyes couldn’t focus. In the end, unable to bear it, she got under the covers.
“This is annoying.”
She closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.
As she tossed and turned, Jinhan called.
“Yes, Director.”
-Haejoo-ssi, Hyun-sung told you, right?
“......Yes.”
-Don’t worry about it. If they escalate things, we just need to state the facts.
“I don’t want that.”
-What do you mean?
“Revealing even the shameful parts I don’t want to show.”
-We need to stop it before it gets to that point.
“I understand.”
-Hyun-sung will pick you up at 9 AM on Wednesday. See you then.
Haejoo fell asleep after the call.
Suddenly, her dark vision brightened, and she saw the day she left home three years ago.
Even then, Haejoo had been harshly mistreated by Kyung-ae for no reason.
Unable to even shed tears, she was locked in her room while Kyung-ae and Yura ordered and ate fried chicken.
They weren’t even human.
They were less than beasts, abandoning even the most basic decency... X’s.
“I will curse you.”
That night, Haejoo packed only a small bag and climbed out the window.
Before leaving the village, she stopped by President Park’s office, which was closed.
She slipped the letter she had written at home under the door and turned away.
With a hollow heart, she got into a taxi without any destination in mind. Even when the taxi driver asked where she was going, Haejoo was choked with tears and couldn’t speak.
While wandering in her dream, Haejoo sobbed.
Just as she was being dragged back by memories that resurfaced despite her efforts to forget them, her body suddenly lifted.
“Lee Haejoo, did you have a nightmare?”
“Haa, haa!”
Dojun, who had come home from work, lifted Haejoo’s upper body and held her.
She couldn’t speak easily. Her whole body trembled as if she had encountered a bad wolf.
“What happened?”
Haejoo buried her face in her knees.
After calming the turmoil within her, as if a typhoon had passed, she spoke with difficulty.
“My sister called the agency.”
“Your sister, Yura?”
“Yes.”
“This is unbelievable.”
“I’m scared of what she might do next.”
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”
Dojun personally had bad memories related to Yura.
He didn’t bother telling Haejoo about it.
At his calm consolation, her eyes cleared up, and Dojun stood up.
“I bought you fried chicken on the way home. You like fried chicken, right?”
“How did you know?”
“It was on your profile?”
Dojun, who went downstairs first, picked up his phone. As soon as the mechanical sound rang, Secretary Song answered.
-Yes, President.
“I heard that Lee Yura contacted Haejoo’s agency.”
-Lee Yura-ssi?
“It seems she’s back in Korea. Find out where she is. And then...”
It wasn’t Dojun’s turn to step in directly yet.
Taking advantage of the moment Haejoo hadn’t come downstairs, he secretly instructed Secretary Song.
-That’s a good idea. I’ll execute it as you directed.
After the fact that Dojun had sued Kyung-ae became known, others who had been involved in the fraud contacted him in droves. This was because it was better for the victims to unite and respond together.
Dojun had no reason to refuse.
Since the opportunity had arisen, he decided to do his best as one of the victims.
________________________________________
Two days later, Yura found a part-time job at a coffee shop.
She was scheduled to start working the next day, finally easing her anxious heart.
“How can the monthly rent for a tiny studio apartment be this expensive!”
After deducting her current living expenses, she had only about 300,000 won left.
She had come to a cheap motel, but the cost was considerable because it was the peak summer season.
Mosquitoes swarmed every night, and she couldn’t sleep because of the sounds of couples making love on both sides of the wall.
Yura lamented how she had ended up like this.
“Still, there was a time when I lived as well as anyone else.”
Her only remaining hope was Haejoo.
She hadn’t known that her unremarkable younger sister would leave home and become so successful.
Jealousy and envy surged at their drastically different circumstances.
“Is it okay for her to just eat well and live well all by herself?”
She had found out the agency’s number and called, but she was cut off immediately. Moreover, someone claiming to be an official had threatened to sue her legally, making her afraid to contact them again.
According to what she had found out, Haejoo was currently living as Dojun’s wife.
She had thought Haejoo would be ruined by the marriage issue, but she hadn’t known she would side with that good-for-nothing.
“Ah, I’m hungry.”
She had been filling her stomach with instant ramen and triangular gimbap for several days.
As evening approached, she felt hungry and grabbed her wallet.
She opened the door to buy a convenience store lunch box, but a group of middle-aged men and women burst in.
“It’s her! Park Kyung-ae’s eldest daughter!”
They were the creditors who had been swindled by Kyung-ae.
They had found out where Yura was staying as if by magic.
“Kyaa!”
She quickly tried to get back into her motel room and close the door, but she was a step too late. They forced their way in and immediately grabbed Yura by the hair.
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